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UNLESS the
government will take the cudgels, it will be hard for the Philippines to open
up doors for new players in the telecom sector.

This is how famed UP Professor Emeritus Dr. Epictetus Patalinghug explains the
result of his research, conducted with three other esteemed UP professors.

In his recent speech at the Asian Institue of Management,
Patalinghug stressed that crucifying the current Globe versus PLDT rivalry will
be both unfair and illogical.

At present circumstances, Philippine market is not viable for
the entry of foreign telecom investors considering the existing law that
prohibits major foreign ownership of a company and the massive capital
requirements to bridge the gap that the two existing telcos have already built
over the last few decades.

“A third player may have a difficult time attaining financial
viability in the short run due to its late-mover disadvantage and the need to
penetrate undeveloped areas whose deployment cost is higher than the almost
saturated urban markets dominated by the incumbents,” said Patalinghug.

“The question is do we need a new player? Looking at
Digitel when they were around, they were not making a lot of money. Our
analysis is that a third player can enter the market if it is cost insensitive
for the next ten to fifteen years. No private firm can afford
that,” he added.

Patalinghug even bared that the Philippines is not alone when
it comes to a two-player telecom structure with Myanmar as the other while
India, the second most populous country in the world, will also join the list
in the coming months.

“Look at the market in India, if you look at the last report,
India will move from a four player industry, they are merging into a two-player
tele-commerce,” said Patalinghug.

“The only thing is when we have two (players), there is
fierce price competition.”

Patalinghug, second from left, after delivering a speech at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati. Joining him are AIM Associate Professor Wilfred Manuela, American Chamber of Commerce-Philippines Chairman John Forbes and Phl Competition Commission Economic Office head Isabela Villamil.

He also revealed that during the mid-90’s the Philippines had eleven telco
players.

“In 1992 to 1996, we got 11 telco players in this industry. But deregulation
has always been followed by consolidation. So Smart was bought by PLDT, Islacom
was bought by Globe, Bayantel was bought by Globe, Sun was bought by PLDT, so
from deregulation you have some consolidation,” stressed Patalinghug.

“And that pattern exists all around the world, India started with six, India in
the next few years will only have two,” he said.

The soft-spoken educator believes that the only workable
solution for the country to have a new competitor is for the government to put
up its own telecommunications company.

“The only realistic third player is the government, but its
social value is its cost-insensitive capacity to pour investments in
“last-mile” and high costs areas, and to build “last-mile” network that
complements with existing networks,” he said.

But still Patalinghug has his own apprehensions: “However,
there are historical examples of government failures in direct provision and
operation of utility services.”

Meanwhile, the government thru the newly established
Department Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will begin to build
cell sites in different parts of the country, particularly in remote areas.

But DICT undersecretary Eliseo Rio, Jr. stressed that
this is mainly to help address the lack of cell sites in the country and not
yet signal the birth of a state-owned telecom company.

“The government will build and then lease these cell sites to small players or
to those interested telcos. Our government (will not yet operate these
structures), taking from the experience of Telepono sa Barangay, it was not a
success, so maintenance and usage of these cell sites will be better off with
the private companies,” said Rio.

“The government’s approach is technology neutral, so everything that we can
build should give cost effective transmission of communication
facilities," added Rio.

It seems that Commissioner Chito Narvasa’s fetish for
confronting PBA personalities has not totally waned.

Known to
attack and confront erring players and team officials even on the court,
Narvasa once again was seen in his usual ‘fighting stance’, this time away from
the cameras and eyes of the fans, as he tackled NLEX Road Warriors coach Boyet
Fernandez and import Henry Walker at the Araneta Coliseum hallway shortly after
the game.

Witnesses
told snowbadua.com that the incident happened after Fernandez was shouting
invectives at the referees to complain bad calls that cost them the game.

Even
before Canaleta was shipped to Mahindra, Ginebra has long been eyeing the
former UE Red Warriors star, as he will be a good fit to the complex triangle
offense of coach Tim Cone.

And the
fact that the five-time All Stars slam dunk champion can wax hot anytime at the
three point line, Canaleta will be a much needed piece to further make the
triangle offense tick.

As of
the moment, Mahindra big boss Bobby Rosales wants to keep Canaleta atleast
until after the season ends, as the PBA already informed all teams that contracts expiring on August 31 will be given a 2-month extension.

Meanwhile,
another source bared that Globalport is also pursuing Canaleta, but
Rosales has already declined the offer especially now that the Enforcers are on
franchise best 3-0 win-loss start to top the team standings.

PBA Communications and External Affairs head Willie Marcial seen beside his CHevrolet Trailblazer SUV with a
questional congressional plate

Just when the PBA is still reeling from the low turn-out of fans at the venue, here’s another scandal that will surely rock the 41 year old league.

SnowBadua.com investigates and documents an alleged abuse of power of one of its officials, by illegally using a special plate that is supposed to be exclusive for members of the House of Representatives.

The question now is why is PBA communications and external affairs head Willie Marcial is openly using special plate number 8?

Will the PBA board and commissioner Chito Narvasa even dare reprimand him for this obvious irregularity?

It seems
Barangay Ginebra point guard LA Tenorio has found a new purpose for the country
despite being cut from the final line-up of Gilas Pilipinas for the 2016 FIBA
Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Globe Telecom officially announced that
Tenorio will lead its nationwide basketball youth program for the
underprivileged called TM Basketball Para Sa Bayan.

The TM Basketball
Para Sa Bayan program consists of free basketball clinics and a 3-on-3
tournament nationwide for boys and girls age 9-14 from mid-July to mid-August
this year to determine the team that will participate in the NBA 3X 2016 in
Manila next month. After its pilot run in Cavite last May, Globe will hold TM
Basketball Para Sa Bayan in four more provinces: Bulacan, Isabela, Cebu and
Davao.

Globe Director for Citizenship Fernando Esguerra said that it is
rare for a local basketball superstar like Tenorio to show an innate passion for
teaching the youth. “We witnessed LA’s big heart for coaching when we invited
him to conduct the first TM Basketball Para Sa Bayan free basketball clinic in
Cavite last May. With his help in this program, we hope to further promote
grassroots sports development in the country, hone the basketball skills of
underprivileged youth as well as impart to them the value of sportsmanship,”
Esguerra said. Tenorio said that he is very thankful for the opportunity to
teach basketball to underprivileged children with Globe. “I guess everything
happens for a reason. I am really grateful for being given an opportunity by
Globe to impart my knowledge and skills to the future basketball stars that may
one day represent the flag in international competition,” Tenorio said.

TM Basketball Para Sa Bayan is a component of larger Globe sports
development program called ´TM Sports Para Sa Bayan´. Given the popularity of
basketball and football among Filipinos, Globe uses these sports as the perfect
platform to promote a healthy lifestyle, build character, and create
opportunities for academic advancement for the underprivileged Filipino youth --
instilling in them not only the importance of having great skills but also of
possessing good values and good education. CLICK HERE FOR MORE...

Snowbadua.com was able to secure a copy of an alleged attendance sheet that witnesses say is used to identify individuals given ‘free entrance’ and freebies to watch the games.

In Rain or Shine and San Miguel’s semifinals game three last April 28, some fans were reportedly seen approaching a group of PhilSports and PBA officials right at the back entrance of the Arena, that used to host thousands of basketball fans during the heydays of the league in the 80’s.

The source even bared that after the game, fans who signed the mysterious sheets were given loot bags which carry the brand name of some PBA sponsors.

The same source revealed that the ‘fans’ who were asked to sign the sheets, manned by three groups seated on monobloc chairs, were placed to seat at ringside, a spot which can be seen by the cameras of the Sports 5 coverage team.

Crowd attendance in most games during this season has been very dismal considering that on the last term of former commissioner Chito Salud, the league was able to record the biggest audience, numbering to 52,000 paying fans when the PBA 40th season opened at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

The league has not yet returned to the Philippine Arena and filling the 15-thousand seater PhilSports Arena and Cuneta Astrodome even proved to be a big challenge.

Meanwhile, an official of Araneta Coliseum bared that ticket sales of the PBA has dipped dramatically, failing to reach the 20,000 mark even during games of Barangay Ginebra and Star Hotshots, the two most popular teams in the league today.

“We’re surprised that fans are very sparse during games, actualy, don’t quote me, pero mas in demand pa talaga yung UAAP women’s volleyball as of late than the PBA,” said the Big Dome official.

“We can’t really assess from our end what went wrong, pero it’s a huge drop considering that a few years ago, we were having problems with the ticketing. Come to think of it, we’re already in the semifinals,” he added.

“Gone are the days when we will wait for PBA’s advice to open up SRO (Standing Room Only) tickets,” he said.

Snowbadua.com contacted PSC chairman Richie Garcia to ask for the job description of a certain Reina Evangelista, who is a signatory to the attendance sheet in the said PBA game.

Contacted by this website, the attendance sheet signatory, Reina Evangelista, denied knowledge of the said movement. She later requested for a copy of the pictures and has yet to answer our calls.

So what is this attendance sheet for?

With the low turn-out of fans even in the ongoing Commissioner’s Cup finals, evidently observed by viewers watching the coverage, do you think the PBA is capable of doing the so-called ‘hakutan ng fans’?
CLICK HERE FOR MORE...

Multiple sources informed snowbadua.com that at the end of the current PBA season, the league might revert to its old system with its commissioner ‘solely’ on top of everything.

Information revealed that the PBA board, which recently appointed Narvasa as concurrent CEO/President, might just ask the latter to focus on the new role towards the remainder of the season, with the commissionership given to somebody else before the curtain rolls down on the current season. [Note: Sources asked this writer not to reveal the name of the top candidate for next commissioner]

“Ang plano, i-e-elevate si Narvasa sa CEO, which nangyari na, and then eventually, towards the third conference, baka may ipasok na bagong tao na tatayong commissioner,” said the source who was privy to the deliberations inside the board room.

“Yung CEO ni Narvasa, parang graceful exit na lang niya yan. His term as commissioner will end before the season closes,” he added.

“It’s awkward to say na ‘kick up’ pero yan ang gusto ng ibang board sa kanya. They are not happy and one of the reasons why they have to do that is to save the face of the league,” said the source who even relayed the continuous call of fans for Narvasa’s resignation.

Under the alleged plan, Narvasa will be given extra time to oversee game related activities of the league while at the same time complete his clearance and other obligations.

“Ang daming issues and controversies surrounding the present commissioner from officiating to harsh sanctions to his on-court temper and the board has been monitoring and not taking it lightly,” said one member of the PBA board.

The same source bared that some team owners have been left disappointed at the different issues that hounded the 7-month old leadership of Narvasa.

Among the controversies the former Ateneo big man involved himself in are the unprecedented banning of a sports journalist, the tap on the wrist verdict on best pal Alfrancis Chua, the Dondon Hontiveros finger-pointing incident, the inconsistencies of verdict on Talk n’ Text import Ivan Johnson, the negative comments against Mahindra playing coach Manny Pacquiao, the dilly dallying and delayed handling of some officiating issues and just recently the Rhose Montreal scandal. [See story of Montreal’s controversy which was first released here: http://www.snowbadua.com/2016/02/investigative-report-is-rhose-montreals.html]

“Halata mo naman hindi na happy ang ilang team owners, you can read it between the lines. Try to look back sa mga stories na lumabas recently. Never mo nadinig nagsalita ang mga yan,” said the source obviously referring to calls of some team big bosses for an owners’ summit.

And just to the intriguing development, another source bared to snowbadua.com that with the marketing group of Montreal again detailed under the office of the CEO/President, both Narvasa and the infamous PBA business development chairperson might soon find their positions dissolved at the same time.